Today was the typical "day after," where you learn what really happened. Unfortunately, things were worse than what I thought even when I made the previous post this morning. The first image should show the red area extending much further west, across the main road and all the way into the entire neighborhood. A great many of the houses west of Seth Child Rd. (across the street from where my house is) are completely destroyed or are a total loss. A small army of us spent most of the day in this neighborhood.

Also, the neighborhood west of the K-State campus was hit very hard and the damage is extensive on the campus itself. I haven't been able to see much of the campus yet -- they ended up sealing off most of it today anyway.

Coverage of this tornado included a rare look at almost the entire time the tornado was on the ground in Manhattan, from its early appearance on the southwest side up until striking the area of the campus where the roof camera was located:


What is sobering is that this tornado threaded the needle right between the two most personal structures to me in this town... my house and the Cats for Christ Campus Center. If it had veered barely to the right, it would have surely completely destroyed my house. Barely to the left, it would have at least caused serious damage to the campus center. The Campus Center basement is where I rode out the storm, clueless about the F4 funnel passing by two blocks south.

Ultimately, it is a strong reminder that we have no control. We spend our lives largely within the illusion of control, and for many that illusion is never exposed. But the indiscriminate power of nature is one of many instruments of God that has a way of putting us into our place.

Photos: